(MENAFN- Daily Outlook Afghanistan) Genderdiscrimination and violence against women continue unabated in Pakistan. Womenare harassed widely and fall victim to 'honor killings and men's carnaldesire. They are discriminated in collective life and treated unfairly on thebasis of their gender. Pakistani media routinely release reports of the brutalrape and murder of girls and women.
Recently,two stories citing discrimination and violence have captured the attention ofPakistani nation. First, the abduction, rape, and murder of the 10-year-oldgirl Farishta from Islamabad, which outraged the collective conscience acrossPakistan and drew widespread condemnation. After being lost from a park, whereshe went to play, Farishta's body was found on May 20. A photograph of her bodycirculated on social media showed signs of torture.
Second,Mahjabeen Sheran, a member of the Provincial Assembly of Baluchistan, was askedto leave the session for bringing her seven-month-old ill son to the house. Sheis cited as saying that it was the 'worst situation for her when she was leftto decide between taking care of her son and attending the session.
'Ifelt embarrassed because some men in the session were making jokes and smirkingabout me bringing my son. At that point, I looked for someone to stand up forme and support me, but no one did, she said.
Inlate March, the case of a Christian woman, who was reportedly kidnapped,forcibly converted and raped, went viral on social media. In the same month, newsoutlets and social media focused on egregious case of a woman who was beaten byher husband and her head was shaved when she had refused to dance for hisfriends. Meanwhile, a man beat his wife and kept her in chains.
Thecase of violence continued as a man cut the tongue of his divorced wife andanother man was arrested for kidnapping his 14-year-old niece so as to trafficand sell her in Karachi in April.
Suchcases repeatedly make the headlines in Pakistani newspapers. However, it isbelieved that many cases of violence against women in Pakistan remainunreported.
Pakistaniwomen are harassed widely on the streets and in work environment. They lackmental peace in the wake of being harassed or abducted. In the meantime, anumber of Pakistani female social media users complain of receiving threateningmessages on social media for refusing to have contacts with male social mediausers. They are afraid of posting their photos online.
AlthoughPakistan's laws support the rights and freedoms of women, they are notimplemented thoroughly, the same as in Afghanistan. For instance, whenFarishta's family approached the police to report the case of her abduction,the police posed a lot of questions even asking her family if the 10-year-oldgirl eloped.
It isself-evident that a large number of radical religious groups are operating inPakistani under the term of religion. Those groups show strong sensitivitytowards women's liberty and the way of their dressing. It is believed thatthose groups and many other closed-minded individuals create obstacles beforewomen and curtail their freedoms since they have radical interpretation ofreligious tenets.
Itshould be noted that tribal code of conduct rules Pakistan's tribal belts. Thatis to say, gender discrimination – stemmed from parochial mindset, traditionalculture, and tribal code – is widespread in tribal areas of Pakistan, wherewomen are treated as an inferior creature. In the remote areas, the casesregarding women are judged by tribal councils and elders and women are punishedin desert courts. Having said that, those women who participate in social andpolitical activities are highly prone to violence and discrimination. Therefore,it is believed that women in tribal areas do not have active participation insocial and political arenas in Pakistan, similar to that in Afghanistan.
AlthoughPakistan is a democratic state and supports the rights and freedoms of women,sexual discrimination is rife in the wake of the active presence of some religiouslyradical parties and dominant rule of tribal code of conduct.
Tosafeguard the rights and freedoms of women, Pakistani government needs tospread legal awareness in tribal areas and pave the ground for smoothimplementation of law across Pakistan. Those who are involved in the harassmentof women and violation of their rights, freedoms, and dignity have to bebrought to justice.
Meanwhile,Pakistan's civil society and women rights activists have to raise their voicein support of women's rights and freedoms so as to counteract the adverseeffect of the radical attitude of fundamental groups on Pakistani individuals.
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